Cloudbursts & chaos: Himachal gets wake-up call from hills

Himachal Pradesh is grappling with its worst-ever natural calamities this year as cloudbursts and flashfloods triggered by intense monsoon rains have left over 100 persons dead and caused damage exceeding Rs 10,000 crore. The scale of destruction has brought the spotlight back on the urgent need for a comprehensive disaster mitigation action plan to protect the ecologically fragile hill state from further catastrophes.

Notably, Himachal ranks among the top five disaster-prone states in India, frequently experiencing earthquakes, landslides, cloudbursts, avalanches and forest fires. The increasing frequency and intensity of such disasters have raised alarm among experts, activists and former administrators.

PC Kapoor, a retired IAS officer and former head of the Public Works Department, emphasises the need for heightened public awareness and accountability of officials. “Reckless and unscientific hill-cutting, illegal construction, encroachment on water streams and unregulated mining must be curbed,” he insists. According to Kapoor, stricter environmental safeguards and enforcement mechanisms could help prevent future tragedies.

Dr Ashok Sarial, former Vice Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University, highlights the growing impact of climate change. “Summers and winters are increasingly marked by droughts and this year’s cloudbursts and flash floods paint a terrifying picture,” he notes. He adds that widespread environmental degradation is triggering landslides and flash floods in higher altitudes. Even the iconic deodar trees, planted during the British era, are drying up year after year in Shimla, Palampur, Kullu-Manali and Dalhousie.

Environmental activist Subhash Sharma, from the NGO People’s Voice, accuses the state of systematically weakening environmental protections over the past decade. “Hoteliers, builders, road contractors and cement plants have been allowed to violate the law with impunity,” he claims. Sharma warns that unless people are made aware of the dangers and officials are held accountable, disasters like those in Mandi and Seraj will continue to haunt other districts.

He further criticises the authorities for their lax approach to enforcement. Despite Himachal falling in Seismic Zone V, the ban on constructing high-rise buildings beyond three stories is widely violated — even by government agencies. The TCP Act, labour and environmental laws are often disregarded in favour of profiteering, he alleges, with the administration passively waiting for court or NGT interventions.

In the last ten years alone, over 30 major cloudbursts and flash floods have claimed more than 5,000 lives and caused property damage worth Rs 30,000 crore. Himachal Pradesh stands at a crossroads — either it enforces change or continues to pay the price of apathy.